End to end network communication

Abstract

A system manageable for peer to peer communication between subscribers, the system comprising: a) a subscriber end digital communication management device for managing digital communications with remote subscribers, the device comprising: an internal interface for interfacing with at least one subscriber electronic device, an IP address manager for formulating a request for an IP address corresponding to a user defined remote subscriber, submitting said request and recording a response thereto, and a packet addresser, associated with said IP address manager, for addressing data packets to said user defined remote subscriber using an IP address taken from said recorded response, and b) an Internet connection management device for receiving and processing said request, said device comprising: a database for storing user identification names of said subscribers in a first field and respective assigned user IP addresses in a second field, a database manager for determining assigned user IP addresses of ones of said subscribers currently connected and dynamically updating said second field therewith, and a request manager for receiving external requests specifying at least one user identification request, interrogating said database and responding with respective IP addresses, thereby to provide peer to peer connections between said subscribers and end to end transaction data for billing.

Description

RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation in part of PCT IL01 / 00310 Apr. 4, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to manageable end to end or peer to peer communication via a network and more particularly but not exclusively to end to end manageable communication using the Internet infrastructure for unspecified kinds of communication.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Generally speaking, end users of the Internet connect, via any available infrastructure, to an ISP or like Internet gateway. The Internet, although being a mesh transport network, is used for most application purposes as a star-configuration with large amounts of processing taking place at central locations. Generally, the Internet is based on the client-server connection model, as opposed to peer to peer.[0004]The client server configuration has a number of disadvantages. First of all, an Internet service provider has to make available a capacity that ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Preferred embodiments of the present invention create smart end points, that is to say intelligent communication terminals that can support peer to peer communication and do not require intermediate servers. In particular the smart end points are able to support communication management, security management and all premise required services. The smart endpoints may act both as clients and as servers, thus combining the benefits of client / server & centerless topologies.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, each increase in capacity only increases the demand per customer, since an improvement in performance encourages users to make use of capacity hungry features, such as multimedia and virtual reality, which may not have been realistic before the capacity increase.

In addition, the Internet service provider is required to set up dedicated servers and server farms for different kinds of services, for example e-mail servers, web-servers, perhaps even more specialized servers such as a juke box server, and this only adds to the investment required.

The user may use known static IP addresses, or domain names which relate to such IP address, to connect to servers and web sites, but in order to connect to remote users, he has to know their temporary assigned IP address in advance—which in most case is practically impossible.

However, it has the disadvantage that it requires a general purpose computer as the terminal device & the usage of the messaging system's application proprietary address translation protocol.

Furthermore, due to the absence of system billing mediation, such messaging systems do not have the ability to charge users for the service.

Furthermore, users are identified by their “nick names” which makes it almost impossible to access a person unless the user is familiar with the addressee's “nick name”, unlike a known phone-number for example,

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